Florida Business Litigation Lawyer Blog

Recovering attorney’s fees is governed by the American Rule. This rule generally prohibits a party from recovering his or her attorney’s fees unless the fees are expressly permitted pursuant to a contract, statue, or rule. Q.H. v. Sunshine State Health Plan, Inc., 305 So. 3d 543 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020) (“Under the American rule, a…

It is important for employers to properly classify their employees as exempt or non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, if an employee works more than forty hours in a week, the employee must be paid an overtime rate of at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate…

Class actions are generally large lawsuits involving many plaintiffs bringing the same claims against the same defendant. These lawsuits can arise in a number of scenarios including employer/employee relationships. See Calderone v. Scott, 838 F.3d 1101 (11th Cir. 2016) (employees brought a class action lawsuit against their employer for violating Florida minimum wage laws). The…

A plaintiff seeking permanent injunction must satisfy a four-factor test before a court can rule it is entitled to an injunction. A plaintiff must demonstrate: (1) that it has suffered an irreparable injury; (2) that remedies available at law, such as monetary damages, are inadequate to compensate for that injury; (3) that, considering the balance…

A claim of accounting is a useful tool to trace funds or establish claims and liabilities in a fiduciary relationship. To obtain an equitable accounting, the plaintiff must prove the following elements: a fiduciary relationship exists between the parties or the transaction at issue is complex, and (2) the remedy at law is inadequate. Tracfone…

“Parties to a contract may stipulate to a particular forum in which to resolve future disputes.” Rudman v. Numismatic Guar. Corp. of Am., 298 So. 3d 1212 (Fla. 3d DCA 2020). These clauses are known as forum selection clauses and presumed to be valid unless the party resisting enforcement can demonstrate the clause is unjust…

If a business receives an administrative charge of discrimination by an employee, or is sued by an employee for alleged violations of an employment statute, can the business sue the employee?  Maybe the business can claim the employee defamed it by making false statements about the business. However, the employee will likely claim that the…

It is important for employers to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and all of its various obligations. The ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on a disability. A disability is (a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, and (b) a record of such impairment,…

The litigation privilege protects parties and their attorneys from liability for statements and other acts taken in relation to litigation. “The litigation privilege in Florida provides all persons involved in judicial proceedings, including parties and counsel, an absolute privilege from civil liability for acts taken in relation to those proceedings.” Cherdak v. Cottone, 2023WL 2044608…

Indemnity and hold harmless agreements are powerful tools that require the other party to the agreement to cover losses and expenses of the indemnitee. A hold harmless agreement is a type of indemnification agreement. “The term ‘hold harmless’ means to fully compensate the indemnitee for all loss or expense, and an agreement to hold harmless…